Mordecai Hamilton Davidson (November 30, 1845 – September 6, 1940) was a

professional baseball Professional baseball is organized baseball in which players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system. It is played in baseball league, leagues and associated farm teams throughout the world. Mod ...

owner and

manager Management (or managing) is the administration of an organization, whether it is a business, a nonprofit organization, or a government body. It is the art and science of managing resources of the business. Management includes the activities ...

. A

Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...

veteran, he is best known as the primary owner of the

Louisville Colonels The Louisville Colonels were a Major League Baseball team that also played in the American Association (AA) throughout that league's ten-year existence from 1882 until 1891. They were known as the Louisville Eclipse from 1882 to 1884, and as th ...

of the

American Association American Association may refer to: Baseball * American Association (1882–1891), a major league active from 1882 to 1891 * American Association (1902–1997), a minor league active from 1902 to 1962 and 1969 to 1997 * American Association of Profe ...

in the late 1880s, during the worst period of the team's history. He was one of three managers of the 1888 Colonels, during his ownership of the team.

Biography

Davidson was working for a local mercantile house in

Louisville, Kentucky Louisville ( , , ) is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky and the 28th most-populous city in the United States. Louisville is the historical seat and, since 2003, the nominal seat of Jefferson County, on the Indiana border ...

, when he became a shareholder of the

in 1887. The Colonels were members of the

(AA), a major league. Prior to the 1888 season, Davidson was named the Colonels' secretary-treasurer, and on June 6 he bought out most of the team's other shareholders. Two days later, Davidson relieved manager

Kick Kelly John O. "Kick" Kelly (October 31, 1856 – March 27, 1926), also nicknamed "Honest John" and "Diamond John," was an American catcher, manager and umpire in Major League Baseball who went on to become a boxing referee and to run gambling houses i ...

, with the team having won only 10 of 39 games played. Davidson then managed the team himself for three games, winning one. After

John Kerins John Nelson Kerins (July 15, 1858 – September 8, 1919), sometimes known as Jack Kerins, was an American Major League Baseball player who appeared mainly at first base but also at catcher and in the outfield. He played for the Indianapolis Hoosi ...

managed the team for seven games, winning three, Davidson took over as manager once again and managed the team for the rest of the season. During his second tenure as manager, Davidson managed 90 games, winning 34 and losing 52 with 4 ties. Overall, Davidson's record as manager was 35 wins, 54 losses and 4 ties. It was his only experience as a major league manager. The Colonels finished the season with a record of 48–87, next-to-last in the eight-team AA. Prior to the 1889 season, Davidson brought in

Dude Esterbrook Thomas John "Dude" Esterbrook (June 20, 1857 – April 30, 1901) was an American Major League Baseball player from Staten Island, New York who played the majority of his games at third base, but did play many games at first base. Esterbrook play ...

as manager, while also seeking to sell the team. Esterbrook only lasted 10 games, winning two, and the club went through four managers during the season. By June, the players were in open revolt over Davidson's handling of the club, and several of them refused to play outright on June 14. A special meeting of the AA board was called, and Davidson was issued an ultimatum to strengthen the club or be forced out. In early July, Davidson surrendered control of the Colonels to the AA. The team finished the season in last place, with a record of 27–111, and had a 26-game losing streak. Davidson served three years in the

Union Army During the American Civil War, the Union Army, also known as the Federal Army and the Northern Army, referring to the United States Army, was the land force that fought to preserve the Union (American Civil War), Union of the collective U.S. st ...

during the

, in Company A, 17th Indiana Regiment. He was an active member of the

Grand Army of the Republic The Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) was a fraternal organization composed of veterans of the Union Army (United States Army), Union Navy (U.S. Navy), and the Marines who served in the American Civil War. It was founded in 1866 in Decatur, Il ...

(G.A.R.) through at least December 1939. Davidson died in Louisville in September 1940; he was survived by a son.

References

Bibliography

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External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Davidson, Mordecai 1846 births 1940 deaths Louisville Colonels managers Louisville Colonels owners Sportspeople from Ohio People from Port Washington, Ohio Union Army soldiers